Second Century Campaign

The Second Century Campaign is transforming the landscape of the school and providing the resources necessary to revolutionize teaching and learning for faculty and students for years to come. Simply put, this campaign is about academic excellence and relevance.

The completion of the two new buildings is scheduled for August 2017 - in time for opening day of the 2017-18 school year. The timely completion and occupancy of this new space is tied to our fundraising goal. In order to utilize this new space, the Second Century Campaign must have received pledges to cover the cost of the construction.

The Collegiate community has been actively engaged in planning for our second century since 2011. This work encompasses our strategic plan, campus master planning study, the campaign feasibility study and most recently the School’s accreditation self-study. Each of these steps involved the Collegiate constituents and members of the broader community through countless formal and informal meetings.

As a result of this thorough planning, the Collegiate Board of Trustees voted unanimously at their December 2013 meeting to launch a comprehensive campaign to support endowment, facilities transformation and operations, through the Annual Fund, over a five-year period. Based on the initial success of fundraising, the Board voted in January 2016 to set a campaign working goal of $20 million.

As of June 2016, leadership gifts of $50,000 to $2 million have yielded nearly $13 million in a comprehensive campaign that funds Facilities Transformation ($7.9M), Annual Fund ($2.1M) and Programmatic Endowments ($2.7M). We continue to secure leadership gifts as we launch the Community Phase of the campaign in which all members of the community will be solicited for both the Second Century Construction Project and the Annual Fund.

Thank you for joining us on this transformational journey!

Transforming Our Future Newsletters

Please click on the links below to read Transforming Our Future, a newsletter for the Second Century Campaign.

What you should know...

List of 15 frequently asked questions.

Collegiate’s highest priority is to provide the resources necessary to transform teaching and learning. This campaign is about academic excellence and relevance. Our focus will keep these two fundamental concepts at the heart of our campaign goals - which cannot be met through the operating budget. The Board approved the campaign with the following objectives to address those needs:

Facilities Transformation to Support Academic Excellence and Relevance, including:

The Planning Phase collected information regarding the feasibility of a campaign. Members of the school’s constituencies were interviewed, surveyed or invited to consultative gatherings. The resulting information informed the Board of Trustees in their decision to launch a campaign. This 18-month long Planning Phase culminated in the December 11, 2013 decision by the Board of Trustees to announce the Second Century Campaign.

The Leadership Phase is a period of cultivation and solicitation of the school’s historically largest donors. Through June 30 2016, Collegiate has raised approximately $12.7 or nearly 65% of the $20M goal.

The Community Phase is the final phase of the campaign and all of Collegiate’s constituencies will be asked to support the school’s long-term priorities. A public kickoff is scheduled for Fall 2016. In the community phase the remaining 35% of the campaign goal will be solicited and pledged.

The participation of everyone in the Collegiate community will lead to the successful completion of this campaign, which is integral to the successful completion of our new facilities and a substantive increase in the school's endowment.

The campaign is being led by the Second Century Campaign Committee under the direction of Ceci Conway Boden '85, Campaign Chair. The campaign is further supported by Honorary Campaign Committee led by William Street H'09, Chair. The School's efforts are augmented by several other volunteers in the Collegiate community and the Advancement Office staff.

The entire Collegiate community will be asked to support the campaign including the Board of Trustees, faculty and staff, parents, grandparents, alumni, alumni families and friends. During the campaign all community members must make Collegiate a philanthropic priority to ensure its success.

Beginning in 2001, The Leap without Bounds Campaign successfully raised $11.5 million for the complete replacement of the Upper School, construction of the Mary Rodes Lannert Athletic Center, renovation of the existing Frazier Gym, and the purchase of the property at Champions Trace.

In the intervening years additional capital projects funded the development of the first four fields and facilities at Champions Trace, the renovation of the JK and Anna E. Wilton Admissions Houses and the Auditorium, and most recently the development of three new fields at Champions Trace.

An endowment fund is one in which the original principal is protected in perpetuity. The interest earned on the principal pays for continuing operational needs over a long period of time. Each $1 million in our endowment provides approximately $50,000 annually to operations, which can help attract and retain outstanding faculty and create and maintain the necessary programs to provide our students with an exceptional education. Our endowment is currently slightly over $7M.

Only you can decide how much to give and we are asking everyone to be as generous as possible. Your gift to the campaign should be based on your ability to give, an understanding of the school's needs and your belief in the mission of Collegiate. Because this is a comprehensive campaign, pledges may be paid over a multi-year period.

Yes. The Advancement Office will be happy to assist you. Gifts of appreciated securities, real estate, life insurance and charitable trusts may be among the best choices for your family. Consult your accountant, banker or financial planner to determine which method of payment is best for you and your family.